Jefferson Parish turning its eyes to cyclists, walking people

Jefferson Parish has bike paths on the brain. Not only will the Lake Pontchartrain levee soon have a contiguous lane through Metairie and Kenner, but the Parish Council will consider improving or building other corridors along the street grid.

Eliot Kamenitz, The Times-PicayuneA bicyclist shares space on the Moonwalk along the river with a street musician.

The bike path and walking lanes at Lake Pontchartrain were a victim of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers post-Hurricane Katrina shoring of the levee system. Connecting all the broken strips will begin Tuesday, Parish President John Young said.

Meanwhile, the Parish Council will look at paying for upgrading paths along Interstate 10 and in Old Metairie and building a new one along Nicolle Boulevard in Avondale.

Federal grants will pay the bulk of these projects, if the council approves them. The Federal Highway Administration has a plan to cover 80 percent of the costs, while the parish will have to come up with the remainder.

The council meets at 10 a.m. Wednesday in the Joseph S. Yenni Building at 1221 Elmwood Park Blvd. in Elmwood.